Method of cleaning and restoring boilers to service condition.



No. 757,839. PATENTED APR. 19, 1904.

A. R. RAYMER. Y METHOD OF CLEANING AND RESTORING BOILERS T0 SERVICECONDITION.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27, 1903. up MODEL.

wrrusssss: I mum-on UNITED STATES Patented April 19, 1904.

ALBERT R. RAYMER, OF BEAVER, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF CLEANING AND RESTORING BOILERS TO SERVICE CONDITION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 757,839, dated April19, 1904.

Application filed November 27, 1903. Serial No. 182,864. (No model.)

To (all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT R. RAYMER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Beaver, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania,have invented or discovered certain'new and u sef ul Improvements inMethods of Cleaning and Restoring Boilers to Service Condition, of whichimprovement the following is a specification.

Most water for boilers of locomotives and stationary engines is used inits natural condition and contains materials which under a hightemperature will be precipitated and form scale on the heating-surfaces,thus necessitating a frequent cleaning of the boiler. According to thepresent practice on railways the cleaning involves the followingoperations: First, the fire is drawn andthe locomotive run into theroundhouse, the pressure in the boiler at this time being at about onehundred (100) pounds. The whistle or pop -valve or both are then openedto permit of the escape of steam. To reduce the pressure in the boilerfrom one hundred (100) pounds, more or less,

to zero in this manner usually requires from thirty to forty-fiveminutes. As soon as the pressure is reduced the blow-ofi cock is openedand the hot water allowed to escape into the sewer. A complete drainageof the water is effected by removing plugs in the water-legs forming thesides of the fire-box. When the boiler has been cooled to a workingtemperature, which is generally effected by the introduction of coldwater through a hose connected to the boiler, wire brushes and scrapersare introduced through tapped holes to loosen the scale, thus permittingits being washed out. This draining, scraping, and washing out requiresfrom three to four hours, and being completed the outlets are closed,the boiler filled with cold water, and the fire started, the draft beinginduced by compressed air or steam introduced into the stack by avertically-arranged nozzle. As the fire-box and tubes are cold, thecombustion of gases is so imperfect that large volumes of smoke areproduced, so filling the roundhouse, rendering it nearly impossible forthe workmen to remain in it. This blowing by air is maintained untilsufficient steam is generated to permit the locomotive blower tooperate, which is kept in operation until service-pressure is generated.The generation of working pressure from cold water requires usually alittle over an hour, and the total time required for all the operationsfrom the time the fire is drawn until working pressure has been producedrequires from five to six hours. The whole operation involves the wasteof a large number of heat units in blowing off the steam and thedrainage of the hot water into the sewer. It also subjects the boiler toexcessive strains by unequal contracting caused by the introduction ofcold water, and there is a large waste of fuel in the generation ofworking pressure and also a loss of time in the service of thelocomotive.

On some railroads and in some power plants the water is so treated thatpractically all foreign matter left in it will remain in solution underconditions of temperature and pressure existing. in boilers inoperation. While little or no scale will be formed on theheating-surfaces when using the treated water or water practically freefrom scale-forming ingredients, the percentage of foreign matter insolution in the water in the boiler will increase in a comparativelyshort time to such a point as to cause foaming. When this occurs, it isthe present practice to draw the fire, run the locomotive to theroundhouse, blow 01f the steam, empty the boiler and refill it'with coldwater, and steam is then generated in the manner described. In short,the operation of cleaning the boiler when treated water is used is thesame as with untreated water except that the scraping of the tubes, &c.,to loosen and remove the scale is not required.

The object of the invention described herein is to provide for thecleaning of the boiler and the restoration of service conditions withoutthe loss of all the thermal units present in the boiler when thelocomotive reaches the roundhouse, without subjecting the boiler toexcessive strains, without a large waste of fuel and consequentinconvenience.to the workmen, and without the long loss of time inservice of locomotive incident to the present methods. 1

The accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, showsdiagrammatically the arrangement of the several parts or elements of myplant for the practice of my im proved method.

In the practice of my invention the fire of v the locomotive to becleaned is banked or may be drawn and the boiler maintained at the de-'sired temperature by a gas or sprayed oil flame. It is the proposedpractice to retain enough steam-pressure-t'. 0., about one hundred (100)poundsin the boiler to run the locomotive into its stall in theroundhouse. When placed in its stall, the main pipe 1 of a manifold isconnected by a flexible pipe to the blow-off cock, which is then opened,allowing the water and steam from the boiler to flow by the pipe 1 andbranch or member 2 of the manifold into the tank 3, which will be termedthe blow-off tank. This tank is provided with an Outlet-pipesufiicientlylarge to prevent the generation of any material pressure therein, sothat when water heated above 212 Fahrenheit from the boiler enters thetank there will be a rapid evolution of steam, which will continue untilthe water is cooled down to or approximately to 212 Fahrenheit. Thesteam thus evolved is conducted by the pipe 1 to a condenser 5, wherethe steam is employed to heatwater to be fed to the boiler, ashereinafter described. A coil of pipe 6 is arranged within the blow-offtank and has one end connected by apipe 7 to asuitable supply of water,which has by preference been treated to prevent the formation ofinsoluble precipitates in the boiler. The other end of this coil isconnected by a pipe 8 to the hot-water tank 9, being provided inside ofthe tank with a float-valve 10, so as to prevent an overflow of watertherefrom. This hotwater tank is connected by pipes 11 and 12 to thecondenser 5, one of the pipes, as 11, being connected to the inlet ofthe condenser and the pipe 12 to the outlet end. A suitable pump 13,preferably of centrifugal type, is arranged in the line of the pipe 11,so as to draw water from the tank 9 and force it through the condenser 5and back into the tank through the pipe 12. The water as it flows to thetank 9'is heated by the hot water in the blow-ofl tank 3 and by itscirculation through the condenser 5 is raised to a .still highertemperature by the steam arising from the blow-off tank, as abovedescribed, and caused to pass through the condenser. The water ofcondensation escapes from the condenser by a pipe 14:, which has a valve16 connecting with the hot-well 9 and also by valve 17 with a pipe, 15,leading to a sewer. By this arrangement if the steam passing through thecondenser is clean%'. a, free from oil or other impuritiesthe valve 16is opened and vided with an outlet-pipe 18 for theescape ofunconden'se'd steam, and a by-pass is provided in the pipe 1", extendingfrom the pipe 4 around to the pipe 18 and having a suitable valve, sothat when necessary or desired all or apart of the steam from theblow-off tank can be discharged into the atmosphere without passingthrough the condenser 5.

By the passage of the feed-water through the coil 6 and the circulationof water from the hot-well through the condenser 5 the water in thehot-well can be raised to approximately 205 Fahrenheit, this being doneby the heat contained in the water discharged from the boilers to becleaned. A pipe 19 is connected with the hot well, preferably throughthe pipe 12, and forms the inlet or supply pipe for the feed pump 20.This pump will receive hot water from the hotwell and force it throughthe pipes 21 and 22 into the live-steam heater 23, to which live steamis fed from any desirable source by the pipe 2 1, This live-steam heateris connected by a pipe 25 to the branch or member 26 of the manifold,and the latter is connected to the main pipe 1 of this manifold. Afterall the water in the boiler of the locomotive has been blown off, asdescribed, the valve 27 in the pipe 2 is closed, and the valves 28 inthe pipe 19, 29 in the pipe 22, 30 in the pipe 28, and 31 in the pipe 26are opened, so that by the operation of the pump 20 water is forced intothe boiler through the connection previously established with thepipe 1. As the pump 20 is constructed to operate automatically, as soonas pressure on the delivery side drops, as by opening the valve 31, thevalves I 28, 29, and.30 are usually kept open, except when a differentoperation of the plant is desired. The water as it passes through thepump has approximately a temperature of about 205 Fahrenheit, more orless, but by its passage through the live-steam heater 23 is raised to atemperature of about 300 Fahrenheit, more or less, and at thattemperature forced to the boiler under pressure sufficiently high toprevent evolution of steam until it enters the boiler.

Itwill be observed that as the emptying of the boiler and its immediaterefilling with water at or approximately at the same temperature as thatdischarged is effected one immediately after the other no opportunityfor any material cooling of the boiler has occurred and that thereforethe boiler will not be subject to any severe strains by this operation.As a matter of fact, there remains in the boiler a pressure of aboutfifty pounds of steam when all the water has been discharged, and thispressure is retained without anymaterial-or undesirable diminution untilthe refilling occurs, which is preferably effected immediately subsequent to the last outflow of water. As soon as the boiler has beenfilled to the desired level the operation is stopped and the firestarted or a new fire is kindled in the fire-box, and as the water hasbeen discharged into the boiler at 300 Fahrenheit temperature, more orless, there will be suificient steam to operate the steam-blower of thelocomotive, and as the firebox and tubes will be hot there will be avery little loss due to uneonsumed gases.

It has been found by actual trial that the boiler of a locomotive can,counting from the time it enters the stall of the roundhouse to the timeit leaves the same ready for service, be entirely emptied, refilled, andsteam raised to a service-point in half an hour.

It will be observed that the feed-water is heated to or approximately toa temperature of 205 Fahrenheit by the water and steam taken from theboiler and that live steam is necessary to raise it to the 300 or anyother temperature at which it is desired to fill the boiler.

My improvement further contemplates the charging of the boiler with warmwaterz'. 6., water from the hot-well-or with cold water, as may bedesired. If when the boiler is emptied there is reason to believe theremay be leaks and after repairs it is desired to test the boiler, valves32 and 33 in pipe 34, extending from pipe 21, and also the valve 35 inthe branch or member 36 of the manifold are opened, so that the waterfrom the hotwell will be forced into the boiler without passing throughthe live-steam heater 33. Water is prevented from flowing from thelive-steam heater during this operation by a eheck-valve 51 in the pipe22. The boiler is filled completely with this hot Water, all outletsbeing closed, and the valve 35 is closed. The high-pressure pump 37 isthen started, drawing water from the supply-pipe 7 and forcing itthrough the pipe 38, past the valve 39, which is opened, into the mainpipe of the manifold, and into the boiler. This pump is so constructedas to be capable of producing any desired pressure say three hundredpounds--in theboiler. As the boiler is filled with hot water at the timeof this test, and therefore approximating service condition, the testingof it at this time will be more effeiztlive to develop faults than iftested when co c.

In order that the hot-well 9 may be supplied with water without passingthrough the coil 6, the pipes 7 and 8 are connected by a pipe 45, havinga valve 46. When the water is to be pumped directly into the hot-well,the valves 47 and 48 in the pipes 7 and 8 are closed and the valve 46opened, thus forming a by-pass around the coil 6 to the hotwell.Provision is also made for taking the feed-water directly from itssupply to the inletport of the pump 20 by connecting the pipes 7 to thepipe 19 by a branch 49, having a valve 50 therein. By closing the valves28 and 47 and opening the valve 50 the pump 20 will draw cold water fromthe supply,

force it through the live-steam heater, and

thence directly into the boiler. The water thus flowing from the supplythrough the live-steam heater can be raised to thetemperature desiredfor testing or to the maximum temperature required for charging theboiler for service.

When using treated water or water naturally free from scale-formingmaterials, it is usually sufficient to empty and refill the boiler inthe manner described. W hen, however, water containing scale-formingmaterial is used, the boiler is emptied, as described, and allowed tocool down sufficient] y to permit of the scale being removed in theusual manner. After the closing of all openings in the boiler except theblow-off cook the valve 31 is opened to permit water at a temperature ofabout 300 Fahrenheit, more or less, to be pumped into the empty boiler.The water being free from pressure as it enters the boiler, a largevolume of steam will be evolved, which will distribute itself throughoutthe boiler and effeet a uniform heating of all parts. This uniform andequal heating will not cause any injury, as strains are produced only byunequal and irregular heating.

Provision is made for permitting the discharge of foul water from theblow-off tank after it has been cooled down by the water flowing throughthe coil 6. In practice it is considered desirable to empty the blow-offtank after each boiler has been cleaned, as otherwise a part of the heatof the incoming hot water and steam will be wasted in heating the wateralready in the tank. The tank and outlet are preferably so constructedand arranged that the tank will hold approximately the volume of waterin the boiler at the time of cleaning.

Provision is made for utilizing steam in the condenser 5 from sourcesother than the water from the boiler being cleaned by connecting a pipe51, provided with a valve 52, to the steam-pipe 4, the pipe 51 beingalso connected to a source of exhaust or live steam.

It will be understood that a manifold A is arranged adjacently to eachstall of a roundhouse, and the branches or members 2, 26,36, 40, and 41of each manifold are connected, respectively, to main pipes 2, 25, 34,38, and 42. As repair and erecting shops are usually arranged in theneighborhood of roundhouses, provision is made by pipes 53 and 54,having valves 55 and 56 and extending, respectively, from pipes 34 and38 to charge boilers in the erecting or boiler shops with hot water andthen apply a testing pressure thereto. In order to supply hot water forthe boiler and erectingshops when the hot-well 9 is out of service, the

pipes 25 and 34 are connected by a pipe 64, having a valve 65. Byopening valve 50 and elosing valves 32 and 28 cold water can be forcedthrough heater 23 and thence by pipes 64, 34, and 53 to the boiler anderecting-shops, valves 45, 33, and 55 being opened, and by pipe 36 tothe roundhouse, valve 35 being opened and valve 55 closed. By properlyadjusting the steam-supply to the heater 23 the water can be heated toany desired temperature. Suitable connections are also made to theboilers of the erecting and boiler shops and the boilers of otheradjacent power plants whereby such boilers may be cleaned and rechargedin the manner described and regularly fed with superheated hot and coldwater, as desired. Toutilize the heat discharged from the stationaryboilers in cleaning, the blow-off pipe 2 is provided with a branch 57,having a valve 58, extending to the boiler to be cleaned. In order torecharge the boiler or to continuously feed the same, a pipe 59,extending from such boiler or boilers, is connected by pipes 60 and 61,having valves 62 and 63, respectively, with pipes 21 and 25. By closingthe valve 62 and opening the Valve 63 superheated water will be forcedby pump 20 to the boiler or its feedpump, while by closing valve 63 andopening valve 62 water from the hot-Well 9 Will be delivered to theboiler or its feed-pump.

I claim herein as my invention 1. As an improvement in the art of clean-.ing and restoring boilers to service condition the method hereindescribed consisting in heating water with the discharged foul contentsof a boiler and replacing such foul contents with the Water heatedthereby, substantially as set forth.

2. As an improvement in the art of cleaning and restoring boilers, toservice condition, the method herein described, which consists indischarging the foul contents from the boiler, transferring the heat ofthe discharged contents to a fresh body of water, and feeding suchheated water to the boiler, substantially as set forth.

3. As an improvement in the art of cleaning and restoring boilers toservice condition, the method herein described, which consists indischarging the foul water from the boiler, transferring the heat of thefoul Water to' a fresh body of Water heating the fresh body of Waterabove 212 Fahrenheit and feeding such superheated water to the boiler,substantially as set forth.

i. As an improvement in the art of cleaning and restoring boilers toservice condition, the method herein described which consists indischarging the foul water from the boiler while under pressure,recharging the boiler with fresh heated water and maintaining pressurein the boiler during and between such discharging and recharging,substantially as set forth.

5. As an improvement in the art of cleaning boilers and restoring themto service condition, the method herein described, which consists indischarging the foul water from the boiler, filling the boiler withheated Water and then subjecting the water in the boiler to a testingpressure substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ALBERT R. RAYMER. Witnesses:

DARWIN S. WOLCOTT, F. E. GAITHER.

